During my early cruising years, sailing through the Inside Passage in Alaska, I once delivered a session I thought had gone perfectly. Slides crisp. Timing flawless. Every activity in place. By the next day, no one remembered much. That evening, at the crew bar, watching glaciers drift past the porthole, a cabin steward turned to me and said, “Kketan, your sessions are good. But they don’t sound like us.” I hadn’t expected that. But I needed it. I had delivered the training —

Most sessions start with slides. Mine start with silence. Not because I don’t have things to say, but because I want to listen first. Every room carries its own rhythm, some are eager, others guarded. If you don’t tune in to that rhythm, even the best-designed session will miss its beat. Two decades across ships, resorts, and boardrooms have taught me this: Before people open their minds, they must feel safe enough to show up as themselves. That’s where real learning begins,